


After The Credits

by ShadCat



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Feels, Love, M/M, Marriage, Married Couple, Older Chocobros (Final Fantasy XV), Relationship Problems, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:06:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24832069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadCat/pseuds/ShadCat
Summary: Fall in love - get together - marry.That was the recipe for a successful, cheesy love movie.After the marriage, they all lived happily ever after and then the end credits started. But hardly any of these movies dealt with the afterwards. What life was like after the first falling in love and after the marriage had been going on for several years. After it happened that one felt lonely and forgotten in a relationship.Prompto and Noctis now had to deal with exactly this feeling.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	After The Credits

Fall in love - get together - marry.

That was the recipe for a successful, cheesy love movie.

After the marriage, they all lived happily ever after and then the end credits started. But hardly any of these movies dealt with the afterwards. What life was like after the first falling in love and after the marriage had been going on for several years. After it happened that one felt lonely and forgotten in a relationship.

Prompto sat on the couch and yawned. There was a beer on the coffee table and some game show was on TV. He didn't really watch it. He just tried to stay awake until Noctis came home. Prompto refused to go to bed without his husband, no matter how many times Noctis had told him to just go to sleep when he was tired. It was bad enough that he had dinner alone while Noctis elsewhere. A meeting here, a conversation with the Kingsglaive there and also Ignis, who sometimes called in the middle of the night.

And Prompto?

He was patient. Prompto waited for Noctis and he forgave him. Even if he left him alone again or if they could barely talk to each other for days because Noctis had no time. Prompto understood all of this. Noctis had to lead a kingdom and after rebuilding the world from the ruins, Noctis had to build a new civilization, so to speak. Prompto understood that Noctis had a lot of work to do and that there were things that were more important than him. He understood all of this, but it didn't help that he was unhappy. No, not unhappy. Lonely. Prompto was just lonely. As soon as Noctis was there, as soon as they could laugh and have fun as before, everything was just fine again. Then Prompto didn't want to think about his worries for a second. But in the evenings like today, everything was just difficult.

Prompto leaned forward and took a sip of his beer as he pulled the blanket over himself and rubbed his tired eyes. Only now did he realize that he was watching a cooking show. Maybe he should have been careful and learned something. The food that he had previously cooked was now cold on the stove. In case Noctis was still hungry when he got home.

It was already one o'clock in the morning. Where was Noctis? Even a king had to sleep once.

Prompto felt the sadness that he had felt almost every evening since some time. Perhaps it had been a mistake to leave Kingsglaive. After the world returned to normal and Noctis led his kingdom, Prompto had wanted to fulfill his wish from earlier in his life. He had wanted to be a professional photographer with his own photo studio. Noctis had supported the idea very much. He had found it great that his husband had made his own dreams come true, and Prompto had done it. He had fun in his job, he had employees and a lot of work. He loved how much his work fulfilled him. But when he was at the Kingsglaive back then, he and Noctis had seen each other at work too. Much more then now. Now they only saw each other at home. They had a beautiful apartment and Prompto loved it wholeheartedly, but Noctis was so little at home that Prompto himself was no longer happy to come home. It was as quiet and empty as he felt.

But what should he do? He had spoken to his husband about it. He had told him that he wanted to spend more time with him again and Noctis had understood and accepted his wishes but had had no solution to the problem. His work was no less, even if he took it home with him.

Prompto started rubbing his temples when he felt the headache coming. He had to get up early in the morning. He should have been sleeping long ago.

It almost frightened Prompto how he actually thought about going to bed without Noctis. That would be to fall at the last hurdle. Then they would lose the last common activity, which he had kept up with all his might. But Prompto was out of strength. He had no strength left to wait and hope that something would change. He was just sad and tired.

Prompto put the half-drunk beer bottle on one side and stretched. His gaze was on the front door as if he expected Noctis to finally come home. But there wasn't a miraculous coincidence. Noctis wasn't suddenly in the doorway just because he wanted it most now. Their romantic love movie was over hours ago. Not even the end credits were still there. The cinema was empty and the cleaning staff were already cleaning up.

Prompto sighed as he turned off the television and gave up. He just gave up. He showered, put on soft, warm pajamas, and lay down in their big, warm bed. Their bed was beautiful, so huge that they could try every conceivable sex position in it. ... ha, when was the last time they had more than a quicky? Prompto couldn't remember. The fire of passion had been swallowed up by the larger fire, which Noctis felt for his role as king.

Prompto sniffed as he pressed his face into the pillow. He gently twisted his wedding ring on his finger. Was it so bad that he just wanted his husband at his side? No, he wouldn't cry now. If he cried, he couldn't sleep. Still, Prompto couldn't stop a few individual tears gently running down his cheeks. He had never wanted to fall asleep alone in that bed.

At first he couldn't. Prompto listened to the silence and waited for the sound that Noctis was finally coming home. But nothing happened and at some point, his body lost against the desire to stay awake. He fell asleep. A restless, bad sleep from which he woke up when he felt the bed move behind him.

Even though he woke up, Prompto lay quietly in the dark. He heard Noctis sigh as he lay down under the covers with him and then lay still for a few seconds.

"Prom ...? Are you awake?"

Noctis whispered his words very quietly and Prompto said nothing. He had opened his eyes and was looking at the wall of their bedroom across the dark. Noctis fell silent again before snuggling against him from behind the next moment. Noctis put an arm around his waist and gently kissed the back of his neck.

"I've known you for ages, Prom. I can see how your shoulders are tense, as always when you are hurt and try to be strong."

Usually such a comment would make Prompto smile. He would think how well Noctis knew him. How much his husband knew everything about him, every little detail. Not today, however. Today he lay motionless before speaking softly into the dark:

"What time is it?"

Prompto heard himself how tense his voice was. How many emotions he was trying to suppress.

“... four o'clock in the morning.”

Four o'clock in the morning?! Prompto bit his lower lip and felt a tremor in his body.

“You seriously would have kept me waiting until four in the morning?”

Oh, now Prompto felt anger coming up. He had to work tomorrow too, had his husband once thought of it? Noctis didn't seem to hear his anger. He kept kissing the back of his neck like the world was fine.

“I am glad that you went to bed without me. I always feel so guilty when you torture yourself waiting for me all the time. It's a lot easier if you just go to sleep when you're tired.”

Oh, Prompto couldn't say what those words triggered in him. He thought Noctis knew him. But he only thought of what was easier for him. That he didn't have to feel bad about coming home. Prompto made an angry sound as he shook off Noctis’ hand and got out of bed. He pulled down the covers so that he also exposed his husband, who looked at him completely irritated.

"Prom what ...?

But before Noctis could continue speaking, Prompto simply interrupted him.

“Noctis Lucis Caelum. I wear your ring and your last name; and you made a promise in front of the whole world back then. The promise to make me happy in our marriage! Guess what I'm not right now! I feel so lonely that I have to wonder if I still have a husband at all. And you are glad that I come to terms with it?! Because it's easier for you?!"

Noctis had obviously not expected this emotionality. He sat up in bed and stroked the longer black hair behind when he looked at him with his mouth open.

"Prom, that's not what I meant. I ..."

But again, Prompto had no desire for excuses. He didn't want to hear what happened again today and what was more important than coming home.

“Noct. I am unhappy. I am _lonely_. Lonely in our marriage. And I want you to think about what that means when I tell you something like that. And what you will do about it as my husband. Not as the king of damn Lucis, but as _my_ husband. And I don't want to hear anything today. No excuses anymore. I want you to show me from tomorrow what conclusion you came to!”

Prompto cried when he spoke those words with a seriousness like never before. The words he had thought so often but had never spoken. Because he was afraid of one thing more than anything else: That Noctis came to the conclusion that Prompto was too much for him and left him. Prompto didn't want to end the marriage. But it couldn't go on like this. It really couldn't.

Noctis opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but Prompto left the bedroom. He closed the doors behind him and then lay down on the couch in the living room. Noctis didn't follow him and Prompto could hardly stop crying. Not only did he fall asleep alone, now they would really sleep separately. It was just terrible.

For the rest of the night, Prompto almost only cried until his body failed and fell asleep from exhaustion. This time he slept soundly. A sleep without dreams. Empty as the future.

At least until he was awakened by the warm smell of coffee. When Prompto opened his eyes again, his eyelids were heavy and sticky, but he could see Noctis sitting across from him on the other end of the couch. Coffee and sandwiches were on the coffee table. Noctis had obviously done the best to make breakfast for him. Which made Prompto smile. At least until he remembered yesterday's conversation.

Then he sat up on the couch and just looked at Noctis. He was silent himself. Did Noctis want to show him how he had decided?

Noctis himself was dressed, but Prompto could see from his face that he hadn't sleep well either, and after looking at each other for a while, Noctis took a deep breath and said:

“I'm really sorry, Prom. I was so busy fulfilling my role as king that I consciously accepted that you're not happy with it. In fact, I actually wanted you to just accept how little time I have. I wanted you to accept that and support me in the decision, that I only live for my kingdom. That's why I said it would be easier if you just go to bed without me."

Noctis really wanted to be honest with him and Prompto appreciated that. But he noticed how violently he winced. Almost as if Noctis had slapped him in the face. After it was said out loud, it sounded much worse than just in thought.

"Noct, I can't do that."

Prompto's voice was a soft, painful whisper. Because if he did, he would betray himself. Then he would accept that he would be unhappy forever just to make Noctis life easier. At his quiet answer, Noctis shook his head and then held out his hand in his direction. The gentle invitation to accept his loving touch.

“I know I was stupid. And completely selfish. I love you, Prom. I really love you from the bottom of my heart. And it hit me incredibly hard when you told me that you were feeling unhappy and lonely in our marriage. I hurt the person who means the most to me and didn't even notice. I am so sorry. I would like to apologize. Can you give me another chance? "

Prompto looked at Noctis’ outstretched hand and felt the smile return to his lips. He reached out and held Noctis’ hand. Very gentle and warm, as they had not done for far too long.

"I could never say no to that."

Prompto's words were gentle and Noctis then led his hand to his lips. He kissed the back of his hand very gently.

"I will make you happy again, I promise."

And at that moment Prompto was certain that Noctis’ words would become the truth.

**Author's Note:**

> Always a new "And they all lived happily ever after"


End file.
